


The Fish Tank Incident and Other Untold Housewarming Stories

by Mystrana



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, Humor, M/M, The Fish Tank Incident, sap, silliness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-10
Updated: 2015-05-10
Packaged: 2018-03-29 20:13:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,184
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3909130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mystrana/pseuds/Mystrana
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's Bucky's first night in the Avenger's Tower and Steve is determined to make it memorable for him. What he doesn't realize is that Tony and a few others are also determined to make it a memorable and fun evening.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Fish Tank Incident and Other Untold Housewarming Stories

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Stomiidae](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stomiidae/gifts).



> I'm embarrassed to note that this fic was written for a valentine's day prompt. Luckily, 5/9 kind of looks like 2/14, if I take my glasses off and stand twenty feet away from my computer.
> 
> The prompt was, "Bucky's first night in the Avenger's Tower" and had the additional requirement of, "NO ANGST!!" which I interpreted to mean, a tinge of angst was acceptable, but I feel I stuck to the spirit of the prompt. (Mostly because I dumped all my angst into my other WIP.)
> 
> Enjoy!

“Ok, you can open your eyes now!” The emotion in Steve’s voice was unplaceable, and Bucky had no idea what to expect as he let his eyelids part.

  
He saw it the moment he began to scan the room. In the middle of their new apartment in the Avenger’s Tower, there was a big, blue couch that looked like it had been transported out of their old, old apartment in Brooklyn. Transported, and maybe also repaired, refurnished, and cleaned up a little (or a lot) – but the resemblance was unmistakable.

  
Next to him, Steve watched Bucky’s every movement, trying to determine if the surprise was a success. His own face was calm and sure, but he forced himself to wait, to see what Bucky thought.

  
The moment ticked by, long and slow, and then Bucky turned to Steve, his green eyes soft. “Steve –“ he said, and realized he didn’t know quite what to say. It was only a couch – but it was bringing back memories of the time they had spent together before the war, it was bringing back memories of leaving for the war – it was bringing memories of Steve and Peggy and –

  
“Bucky,” Steve said, his voice strong, bringing Bucky back to the present moment. “I couldn’t think of a good housewarming gift for you. I know you’ve never been much for presents anyhow. But I wanted to celebrate our past, you know, without going overboard.”

  
“I love it, Steve,” Bucky said after another long moment. “But it’s such a different time now – I’m different –“ He struggled to find the words to express himself as they danced around the conversation they had been having nightly during discussions of moving in together.

  
Steve turned to face Bucky, placing one hand on Bucky’s shoulder and one hand reaching up to cup his cheek. He smiled at Bucky, before pressing his lips against Bucky’s for a featherlight and softly electrical kiss.

  
“Of course we’re different now,” Steve said. “We look different. We’ve had many painful memories. But what I’ve found over these past few weeks with you is that no matter how things change, when I close my eyes and kiss you, I am kissing the core of who you are, who you were, and who you will always be.” He smiled, confident, his eyes searching Bucky’s for understanding and approval.

  
Bucky wanted to melt against Steve’s chest, to put his hands around his waist, hug him close and never let go. “Steve,” he said seriously, “For all this talk about changes, I am questioning whether you’ve ever really changed even once in your life. You’re still the same sentimental goofball punk I remember –“

  
“And when I bare my feelings to you and you insult me, yeah, that feels pretty familiar too,” Steve grinned. “Ya jerk.”

  
They laughed then, filling the room with the joyous sound of two people who understood each other, who had gone through wars and worse together and apart and who had once again found each other, and --

  
The knock on the door and Natasha’s voice calling out, “I hope you guys both have your pants on!” was their only split-second notice before the door swung open, and Natasha came into the apartment, arms full of pizza boxes. Behind her was everyone else – Tony, Bruce, Clint, and Thor were the first faces Steve saw as people began to pour into the room, everyone carrying all sorts of party favors and supplies.

  
“Surprise housewarming,” Tony explained smoothly, as though that explained everything, setting down his box on the counter to reveal a surprisingly extensive collection of booze relative to the size of the box.

  
Bucky blinked at the sudden influx of people, before glancing at Steve and grinning, a broad and easy smile that Steve remembered from decades ago. “What a night this is turning out to be,” he said, shaking his head.

  
Steve could only watch as their apartment was transformed, quite efficiently, into a festive party – and how the heck had Clint gotten streamers up that high and that quickly?

  
“Oh,” he said, watching Clint aim three streamer-laden arrows at the far corner of their living room. The red, white, and blue streamers crinkled as they flew through the air, hit their target with perfect aim and made a little “pop” as the suction cup tipped arrow connected to the ceiling.

  
Steve had just finished complimenting Clint’s aim when another noise caused him to turn and see Sam and Maria, who were setting up something big, red, white, and blue.

  
“Is that – my shield?” Steve asked, noticing that the center star was a brilliant shade of red.

  
“Even better,” Maria replied. “It’s cake.”

  
He inspected the excellent replica of his shield which, on closer inspection, was indeed much more cake-like than his favorite accessory. “Back in my day,” he began, and noticing the incredulous look on Sam’s face, he put his hands on his hips. “Oh yes, I’m going there,” Steve said. “Back in my day, we were lucky to get a cake with real sugar during the war. And now this extravagance?” He smiled. “Thank you.”

  
Maria laughed. “You can thank Pepper,” she said. “She’s the one who altered the original order. Tony tried to get a life-size Ironman cake under the excuse that, quote, ‘they’ll be so impressed, does it really matter what it is, really?’”

  
“He’s only half-wrong,” Bucky muttered, casually slinging his arm around Steve’s waist and leaning forward to get a better view, impressed at the way the colored frosting imitated the crevices and shadows. “The things they come up with these days.”

  
Natasha laughed, effortlessly joining the conversation as she handed Steve and Bucky plates of pizza. “Yes, I can see how circular cake is the most impressive thing this century has to offer you.”

  
Bucky crossed his hands over his chest, balancing pizza and giving her a mock-serious look. “It’s not like I’ve had a lot of free time to just browse what they’re doing with cakes lately. Steve is right. We didn’t see a lot of birthday cakes when we were younger.”

  
“You need to browse the internet everyone once in a while,” she replied.

  
The next few hours passed in a happy, noisy blur as everyone hung out, ate pizza, drank, and eventually even cut into the cake, the center star saved for Steve and Bucky to share. 

  
Over a plate of cake and red frosting, Bucky was talking with Pepper and Thor as they sat on the couch. “This couch – or one like it anyhow, was the only piece of furniture that we had that wasn’t just absolutely rickety and about to break if we used it the wrong way-“ Pepper began laughing, tossing her hair back in waves of laughter as Bucky realized what she was inferring and tried to rephrase himself. “I didn’t mean it like that!” he protested, and she grinned.

  
“Sure, and Tony is the paragon of moral superiority,” Pepper said, her eyes crinkling at the sides.

  
“What are we saying about me now?” Tony asked with an air of innocence, coming up behind the couch to drape his arms on Pepper’s shoulders and to address Bucky with an imitation of seriousness. “Whatever she says about me, it’s not true.” He paused, and Pepper turned her head to raise an eyebrow. “Mostly not true,” he amended.

  
“I have been curious to ask if all new residents at the Avenger’s Tower get such an – unexpected welcome,” Bucky said, trying to sound thankful for the party and to figure out exactly what customs had changed in the several decades during which he had been less than aware of party etiquette.

  
Tony grinned. “Actually, you may be pleased to know that this is the first time I’ve been able to coordinate such an event. Thor has a place here, but it’s mostly an honorary suite as he tends to be gone on all sorts of Asgardian adventures.”

  
Thor nodded approvingly, and Tony continued, “And when Natasha and Clint moved in, I didn’t know for a goddamned month – so no party for them!”

  
Pepper’s eyes were dancing with mirth. “It’s true. Nat had, uh, come to an agreement with JARVIS and everything, so Tony had absolutely no clue they were living here until the Fish Tank Incident.”

  
With a huff and a slightly exaggerated roll of his eyes that stated the Fish Tank Incident was not to be spoken of further, Tony continued. “Maria and Nick are the same deal as Thor – here when they need to be, gone when they want to be. No party for them either, though…” Tony trailed off thoughtfully. “Nick would probably hate the fanfare enough to make it worth it. I’ll have to see what I can do with that.”

  
“I get it,” Bucky said. “We’re the poor saps who ended up moving in at the right time, using the proper channels, and you had about six parties worth of decorations to use.”

  
“Something like that,” Tony said, grinning.

  
“You’ll notice he doesn’t say anything about when Bruce moved in,” Pepper stage-whispered and Tony sighed behind her.

  
“Not sure I want to ask,” Bucky replied, and Thor of all people clapped him on the shoulder with an unrestrained bout of laughter. “Or maybe I do?” Bucky added.

  
“That’s a story for another house-warming party,” Tony stated with a grin, and when Bucky began to protest that it sounded like there wouldn’t be any more house warming parties, Thor said, “I’ll get Bruce.”

  
Across the room, the man in question was relating a story to Natasha, Clint, and Steve. “And then I said, well yeah, but the cows are essentially spheres!” Bruce finished with a hearty laugh, and Natasha and Clint nodded and laughed as though they understood – Steve suspected that they did, even if he didn’t have a clue.

  
He was just about to ask if spherical cows were some sort of newfangled breed when Thor called over, “Bruce! Bucky wants to hear about what happened when you moved your lab here.”

Almost immediately, Tony interjected, “What he means is that Bucky absolutely does not want to hear what happened when you moved your damn lab here.”

  
Bruce looked from Thor to Tony to Pepper, rolled his eyes dramatically, and came over. “Don’t you think he’d rather hear about the Fish Tank Incident?” He grinned at Tony, whose scowl deepened.

  
“I think,” Tony said, certainly not with a pout, “That this party is just about wrapping up anyhow.”

  
In the end, Bucky agreed that he would wait for what Tony described as “the opportune moment” to hear both stories.

  
“You see,” Tony explained, “It is not enough to simply tell what happened. The whole situation must be conducive to the telling of these tales.”

  
Pepper laughed and Bruce rolled his eyes, but the matter was temporarily settled. The party went on for a while longer before starting to wind down, and eventually, Steve and Bucky found themselves saying good night to everyone and then, for a moment, Natasha lingered longer than anyone else.

  
“Hey,” she said. “Tomorrow morning, you guys are going to have a present delivered. Consider it a little housewarming gift. And it’ll probably bring you guys closer to that opportune moment Tony was talking about.”  
“That sounds beyond suspicious,” Steve replied instantly.

  
Natasha just grinned as she left with a wave, leaving Steve and Bucky to look around the now quiet apartment. Besides the streamers that were left up on the ceiling, everyone had cleaned up after themselves and Steve was more than happy to simply sink into the comfortable blue couch, followed moments later by Bucky.

  
“So, uh,” Steve said with a grin and a shrug, “I guess that’s your welcome to the place. Figures Tony would outdo my attempts to surprise you.”

  
“He’ll have to try a little harder next time,” Bucky replied, running his hand fondly across the back of the couch, his fingers finding their place at the base of Steve’s neck, gently grazing across his soft hair.  
Steve smiled, instinctively pressing into the light touch. “Don’t let him hear that. I don’t know if I could handle a bigger surprise than that party.”

  
“Fair enough,” Bucky said, his fingers traveling slowly down the line of Steve’s back. “So, what do you say that we go ahead and see if this couch is as sturdy as it seems?” He grinned.

  
Steve affirmation was an enthusiastic kiss, broken only by the effort to strip off Bucky’s black t-shirt.

  
The couch, as it turned out, was _quite_ sturdy.

  
And the next morning, when Steve and Bucky woke up (admittedly a few hours later than usual), they were less-than-surprised to see that, at some point when they were actually sleeping, _someone_ had quietly set up a bright and sunny fish tank with several colorful fish.

  
The note attached to the tank read, “The blue and red fish is ‘Captain’ and the silver and red one is ‘James.’ Enjoy your new life as fish-parents! See Tony with any and all questions.”

  
Somehow, it made the apartment feel even more like home.


End file.
